There are several generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen products available, including Tri-Sprintec, TriNessa, and Tri-Previfem. Manufacturers have given these generic birth control pills "brand-like" names to avoid confusion, since the generic names can be confusing. Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen is equivalent to the brand-name version, but it may contain different inactive ingredients, which could cause problems for people with allergies.
Is Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen Available?
Ortho Tri-Cyclen® (norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol) is a popular oral contraceptive (birth control pill). It is available only with a prescription.
Ortho Tri-Cyclen is made by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen is available, although it is sold under what looks like other brand names, rather than the usual "generic" name. Because less expensive, generic versions of Ortho Tri-Cyclen are available, you may find that your insurance company will not cover brand-name Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
Names of Generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen
Currently, generic Ortho Tri-Cyclen is sold under the names
Tri-Sprintec®,
TriNessa®, and
Tri-Previfem™. Because the generic names of
birth control pills can be confusing (the names are long, and multiple different products can have the same generic name but different strengths), manufacturers of
generic birth control pills give their versions a "brand name" to avoid confusion. These products are still generics, even though they seem like brand-name products, due to their names.
Are the Generic Versions as Good as Ortho Tri-Cyclen?
All generic medications must have certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide if the generic versions are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns a rating to each one. An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. Tri-
Sprintec, TriNessa, and Tri-
Previfem each have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Ortho Tri-Cyclen.
However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than the brand-name medication. This might include fillers, dyes, or other ingredients, which could cause problems for people with
allergies or sensitivities.
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